Press Conference with Israeli President Yitzhak Navon Following Their Meetings
(January 5, 1983)
President
Reagan. Mr. President, it's been my great pleasure to welcome
you today to the White House and to the United States as you begin your
visit that will take you on to Boston and New York. And today we've
had an excellent opportunity to make each other's acquaintance and to
break bread together. And I know now that Nancy and Mrs. Navon are going
to have a chance to meet before you depart from the United States, and
I know both are looking forward to that.
Your presence here as President of Israel symbolizes the close ties
that have always linked our two nations. Ours is a friendship that has
deepened over time. It's daily expressed in our unswerving commitment
to the security and well-being of the State of Israel. Of course, the
security of Israel is inescapably connected with peace in the Middle
East, the principal goal of both our peoples.
A succession of American Presidents have committed this nation to assisting
in the achievement of that goal. And I can assure you that our commitment
to peace is one that I'm proud to carry forward.
Mr. President, we wish you and Mrs. Navon an interesting and productive
visit and a safe return to Israel. Thank you for coming.
President
Navon. Mr. President, I am very grateful to you for your
kind invitation. It has been an opportunity to exchange views on important
issues that relate to the mutual countries, to the peace in the Middle
East, to the prospects for peace and security.
In Israel, as you very well know, Mr. President, though there are different
views as to policies -- whether those who accepted the American views
as a basis for negotiations, whether those who didn't find it possible
to accept them as a basis -- none of them has any doubt as to your dedication
to peace, your sincerity and your commitment to peace and to the security
of Israel. We're grateful to you personally, Mr. President, we are grateful
to the great American people for the generous aid that has been always
rendering to my people. And that feeling of gratitude I wanted to express
to you, Mr. President.
Thank you.
Note: President Reagan spoke at 1:28 p.m. to reporters assembled at
the South Portico of the White House.
Earlier, President Reagan met privately with President and Mrs. Navon
in the Oval Office. The two Presidents were then joined by their senior
advisers, including the Vice President, Secretary of State George P.
Shultz, and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
William P. Clark. The Presidents, together with their delegations, then
met in the Cabinet Room and attended a luncheon in the State Dining
Room.
Sources: Public Papers of the President |